National security adviser Robert O’Brien is optimistic that the G-7 Summit of world leaders will still take place in person in Washington, D.C.
The Group of Seven, also known as the G-7, holds an annual conference of world leaders from the United States, Canada, Germany, France, Japan, Italy, and the United Kingdom to discuss global affairs. The group was set to meet in Washington, D.C., in June, but the coronavirus pandemic has left the meeting under a cloud of uncertainty. During a Sunday interview on Face the Nation, O’Brien said he thinks the event will take place in late June.
“The G-7 Summit, if it happens in person, and we think it will, will take place at the end of June. So, I think we’re getting close to the peak [of the virus] if we’re not already in Washington, and if the situation permits it, and we think it will, we would love to have the G-7 in person,” he said.
“I think the G-7 leaders would love to meet in person and not do a video conference. So, the president extended the invitation, and so far, we’ve got a great response. The logistics, we’ll make sure everybody is tested. We’ll make sure it’s a safe environment if the leaders can come here, but we’d love to host them in Washington,” he added.
O’Brien confirmed that the conference would be delayed from its original date of June 10, but said it would still happen before the month ended.
“I think we would be looking at the end of June at this point just because of the logistics of bringing in so many world leaders with their security details and planning for the event. So, I think it would be later in June,” he said. “But again, it is a chance for the leaders of the democracies, of the free enterprise countries, to get together and decide how to get their economies reopened and how we can work together to make sure we all come out of this COVID crisis and bring back health and peace and prosperity to our peoples.”
Washington, D.C., is one of the few regions of the country that has not seen a declining trend in its coronavirus data. The city has the highest positive test rate in the nation. Last week, President Trump expressed hope that the G-7 Summit could take place at Camp David.
